Hitch-hiker

ABSTRACT

A safe is provided comprising a main box having a predetermined size, such that the safe may also be used as a step; a lockable flip lid pivotally connected to the inside of said main box; a top lid, pivotally connected to the upper edge of said main box such that it disguises the said flip lid, and configured such that it is capable of being used as a step; and means for locking the safe to the hitch of a vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/308,893, filed Feb. 26, 2010, which is hereby incorporated byreference, to the extent that it is not conflicting with the presentapplication.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to safe technology andparticularly to safes which can be installed outside of a vehicle,namely into the hitch of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art

When people travel by car for recreational purposes, such as camping,fishing or hiking, they often have the need to leave and lock theirvaluable items in a safe place. They don't want to worry about theirkeys, wallets, hand guns, or other valuable items. Locking thesevaluable items inside the vehicle it is not a good solution because athief could easily break a window of the vehicle and steal thesevaluable possessions from the owner.

While there are currently on the market safes which may be installedinto a vehicle's hitch, those safes are difficult to install anduninstall and/or are too small to store anything larger than a smallwallet, the size of credit card, and maybe some keys. Those safes do notallow the owner to safely store larger, but valuable items, such as ahand gun. Furthermore, often people need to step on something to accessthe back of their vehicles. The existing hitch safes are inapt tofulfill such a purpose.

Therefore, a need exists for a better hitch-connected safe thataddresses the problems presented above.

The problems and the associated solutions presented in this sectioncould be or could have been pursued, but they are not necessarilyapproaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore,unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of theapproaches presented in this section qualify as prior art merely byvirtue of their presence in this section of the application.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects oressential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summaryis not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of theclaimed subject matter.

In one exemplary embodiment, an easy to use and quick engage-disengagemechanism is used for connecting the safe to the vehicle's hitch. Thus,an advantage is that the user can easily and rapidly install anduninstall the safe to the vehicle's hitch.

In another exemplary embodiment, the safe is configured to incorporate aproperly sized main box, such that it makes it suitable for safelystoring larger items such as a hand gun. Thus, another advantage is thesafe's aptness of offering to the user the option to safely store largeritems.

In another exemplary embodiment, the safe has a robust structuralconfiguration, and it is equipped with a strong, flat and properly sizedtop lid, such that it makes the safe suitable for use as a step. Thus,another advantage is the availability of a step in the back of thevehicle when the safe is connected to the vehicle's hitch.

The above embodiments and advantages, as well as other embodiments andadvantages, will become apparent from the ensuing description andaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes,embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures of theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates “back” and “front” perspective views of ahitch-mountable safe, in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 2 a illustrates an exploded view of the hitch-mountable safe fromFIG. 1.

FIG. 2 b illustrates a “back” perspective view of the main box 201 adepicted in FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 2 c illustrates a side view of the hitch-mountable safe from FIG.1.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b illustrate a top-perspective and a side view,respectively, of the top lid 201 b depicted in FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 3 c illustrate a bottom-perspective view of the top lid 201 bdepicted in FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 4 a illustrates a bottom-perspective view of the flip lid 202depicted in FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 4 b illustrates an exploded view of the flip lid 202 depicted inFIG. 2 a.

FIG. 4 c illustrates a perspective view of a lock stop plate.

FIGS. 5 a-c illustrate a front, perspective and top view, respectively,of the side pin 208 depicted in FIG. 2 a.

FIGS. 6 a-b illustrate a top and perspective view, respectively, of thehandle shaft 206 depicted in FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 6 c illustrates a perspective view of the handle pin 207 depictedin FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 7 a illustrates an exploded view of the hitch tube 204 depicted inFIG. 2 a.

FIG. 7 b illustrates a perspective view of the hitch tube sleeve 762depicted in FIG. 7 a.

FIG. 8 a illustrates a side view of a variation of the hitch tube 204depicted in FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 8 b illustrates a sectional view, taken along line A-A, of thehitch tube from FIG. 8 a.

FIG. 8 c illustrates a bottom view of the hitch tube from FIG. 8 a.

FIGS. 9 a and 9 b illustrate a front and a side view, respectively, ofthe spring 209 depicted in FIG. 2 a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

What follows is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments ofthe invention in which the invention may be practiced. Reference will bemade to the attached drawings, and the information included in thedrawings is part of this detailed description. The specific preferredembodiments of the invention, which will be described herein, arepresented for exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes.It should be understood that structural and/or logical modificationscould be made by someone of ordinary skills in the art without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of thepresent invention is defined by the accompanying claims and theirequivalents.

FIG. 1 illustrates “back” and “front” perspective views of ahitch-mountable safe (“safe”), in accordance with several embodiments.As shown, safe comprises a main box 101 a, a top lid 101 b, a flip lid102 and a hitch tube 104. The hitch tube 104 may be associated with themain box 101 a using, preferably, means for permanent securement, suchas welding. The hitch tube 104 may be secured to the main box 101 a at alower level than suggested in FIG. 1 so that a weep hole from main box101 a to hitch tube 104 and out to the end cap (761 in FIG. 7 a) or tothe bottom (i.e., facing the ground) face of hitch tube 104. The mainbox 101 a has a shape which is similar to that of a rectangularparallelepiped, which has the four vertical edges rounded. One advantageof the rounded edges is that of preventing cut injuries to the user. Themain box 101 a is configured to accommodate larger personal items, suchas a hand gun, and, together with the other elements of the safe, to bestrong and large enough, so that the safe may be used as a step in theback of a vehicle. For example, the main box 101 a may have thefollowing outside dimensions, in millimeters (“mm”): length 304.8 mm(i.e., 12 inches), width 152.4 mm (i.e., 6 inches) and height 203.2 mm(i.e., 8 inches). One of ordinary skills in the art would recognize thatthe shape and the dimensions of the main box 101 a, and thus, of thesafe itself, may be modified and still keep its capability of fulfillingits major functions as described herein (i.e., safe for larger items,and step). Thus, such modifications would be within the scope of theinvention. For example, the shape of the main box 101 a or of the safeitself may be hexagonal, oval, spherical, cylindrical, and so on.Furthermore, the above dimensions may, for example, be increased suchthat the safe may securely store larger-in-size valuable personal itemssuch as a laptop computer or a rifle.

The main box 101 a may be manufactured from a 304.8×152.4 mm (6×12 inch)steel tube having a wall thickness of, for example, 6.4 mm (0.25inches), and a length of 203.2 mm (8 inches). To permanently enclose oneend of the steel tube (i.e., the bottom side of the main box 101 a), asteel plate (205 in FIG. 2 a), having the same thickness (6.4 mm), maybe welded at that end of the steel tube. At the other end (i.e., theupper side of the main box 101 a), two lids are connected to the mainbox 101 a, as shown. First, a flip lid 102 may be hinged to the insideof the main box 101 a, below (e.g., 52.4 mm below) the upper edge of themain box 101 a. A standard safe lock (not shown) may be mounted to theflip lid 102, thus making it possible to lock personal items (keys,wallet, hand gun, etc) inside the safe.

Second, a top lid 101 b may be hinged to the outside of the main box 101a and close to its upper edge. Preferably, the top lid 101 b does nothave a locking mechanism. One of its purposes is to disguise the fliplid 102 and the safe lock (not shown), and thus, the fact that this“box” is actually a safe. This may prevent attacks by would be thieves.Another purpose of the top lid 101 b is to function as a properplatform, by providing a strong, flat surface, for the foot/feet of auser. Hence, the safe may be used as a step to access the back of avehicle, especially when the safe is attached to that vehicle's hitch.Yet another purpose of the top lid 101 b is to protect the inside of thesafe, including the flip lid 102, the safe lock (not shown) and theitems stored in the safe, from environmental agents such as rain.

It should be understood that the entire safe may be manufactured fromaluminum, or other light-weight materials, as long as the security/safeand step functions of the safe are not impaired. Using a lightermaterial may be desirable for larger size safes for purposes such asdecreasing the gas consumption of the vehicle if the vehicle is on theroad with the safe attached to its hitch.

FIG. 2 a illustrates an exploded view of the hitch-mountable safe fromFIG. 1. As earlier explained, the main box 201 a may be manufacturedfrom a steel tube to which a steel plate 205 may be welded to create thebottom of the main box. Also, as described above, the flip lid 202 andthe top lid 201 b may be hinged to the inside and the outside,respectively, of the main box 201 a of the safe. The shown flip lid rod210, the top lid pin 211, as well as the washers 213, may be used forthat purpose (i.e., hinging the two lids). Furthermore, as explainedbelow, when discussing FIG. 4 a, the lock pin 212 may be configured tolock the flip lid 202 when a would-be thief tampers with the safe's lockmechanism (not shown).

A perspective view of the hitch tube 204 is also depicted in FIG. 2 a,with the two holes 203 (one on the opposite side not shown) for thespring 209 loaded side pins 208, which may be engaged by the handleshaft 206 as explained later herein. When mounted, the handle shaft 206,passes through the hole 218 (FIG. 2 b) made in the back of the safe'smain box and continues inside the hitch tube 204, as depicted in FIG. 2c. A portion of the handle shaft 206 remains inside the main box 201 a(see FIG. 2 c), wherein, with the aid of the handle pin 207, which isfirmly attached, such as by welding, to that portion of the handle shaft206, a user may access and actuate the hand shaft 206. The handle pin207 may be completely eliminated if, for example, that portion of thehandle shaft 206 that remains inside main box 201 a is knurled, so thatthe user has a good grip on it. Thus, from the inside of the main box201 a, when the flip lid 202 is open, the user of the safe canengage/disengage the spring loaded side pins 208 in order to lock/unlockthe safe into/from the hitch of a vehicle.

The side pins 208 may be made of materials such as steel, hardenedsteel, stainless steel, or other alloys, and may be chrome plated. Thehole 203 may be oversized and lined with a bronze sleeve bearing.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b illustrate a perspective and a side view,respectively, of the top lid 201 b depicted in FIG. 2 a. In order tofulfill the purposes described earlier (disguise, step, protect),without unnecessarily increase the weight of the safe, the top lid maybe manufactured from sheet metal which may have, for example, athickness of 3.4 mm (0.135 inch). Other materials may be used, such asaluminum. Furthermore, the top lid could have slip resistant coating onits top surface. Moreover, a sheet of slip resistant materials, such asrubber, may be attached to the flip lid's top surface. Besides theobvious benefit (i.e., to prevent slip accidents when a person steps onit), such a configuration may enhance the top lid's role to disguise thesafe.

FIG. 3 c illustrate a bottom-perspective view of the top lid 201 bdepicted in FIG. 2 a. As shown, the back vertical face 398 of the toplid has a greater height than its front vertical face 397. Thisconfiguration permits the protection of the two hinges 399 fromenvironmental agents such as rain. Furthermore, all of the four verticalfaces of the top lid, in conjunction with its top/horizontal face,permit the protection of the inside of the safe from environmentalagents. In addition, as explained earlier, the top lid disguises thesafe by “hiding” the flip lid 102 (FIG. 1) and the safe lock, and makespossible the use of the safe as a step for easier access of the back ofa vehicle.

FIG. 4 a illustrates a bottom-perspective view, while FIG. 4 billustrates an exploded view, of the flip lid 202 depicted in FIG. 2 a.In order to fulfill the desired security purposes, the flip lid plate402 a may be manufactured from sheet metal that is at least as thick asthe walls of the safe's main box (i.e., 6.4 mm or 0.25 inches). Asshown, for reinforcement purposes, but also to facilitate theinstallation of a lock mechanism (not shown), a lock plate 425 may beattached, such as by welding, to the flip lid plate 402 a. The lockplate 425 may be made of steel, hardened steel or other similarmaterials. A standard lock mechanism, such as a keypad or combinationlock, may be then secured to the lock plate 425, preferably by bolting.That lock mechanism is what the user of the safe will use to lock theflip lid 402, and thus, to secure his/her personal items (keys, wallet,hand gun, etc) inside the safe.

A lock pin sleeve 426 a, or other guiding means, may also be fasten,such as by welding, to the flip lid plate 402 a. A lock pin spacer 426 bmay be used between the lock pin sleeve 426 a and flip lid plate 402 a.The lock pin sleeve 426 a guides a spring loaded lock pin (212 in FIG. 2a), which, in combination with the lock stop plate depicted in FIG. 4 c,as it is well known in the art, works to lock the flip lid when awould-be thief tampers with the lock mechanism of the safe. Thus, theitems stored in the safe by the user would remain secured inside thesafe, even when a would-be thief breaks the lock mechanism, such as byapplying a hammer blow to the lock's keypad.

As earlier described, the flip lid 402 may be hinged to the main box(201 a in FIG. 2 a) of the safe. For this purpose, a flip lid hinge 421a may be fasten, such as by welding, to the flip lid plate 402 a. A fliplid hinge spacer 421 b may be used between the flip lid hinge 421 a andflip lid plate 402 a. Furthermore, for easy opening and closing of theflip lid 402, a flip lid handle 419 may also be attached, such as bywelding, to the top face of the flip lid plate 402 a.

FIGS. 5 a-c illustrate a front, perspective and top view, respectively,of a side pin 208 depicted in FIG. 2 a. The convex end 530 haspreferably a circular surface, and is the internal end of the side pin508. The convex ends 530 of the two side pins 508 (208 in FIG. 2 a) arefacing each other inside the hitch tube 204 (FIG. 2 a). The convex ends530 facilitate the action of the handle shaft 206 (FIG. 2 a), as it willbe explained below.

Some portion of the side pin 508, starting with the conical end 540, isconfigured for fitting and entering through the preexisting holes of astandard vehicle hitch in order to lock the safe into that hitch. Theconical shape, or another similar shape, may help facilitate thatentering. The groove 533 may be used to retain at that location, byusing a snapping C-washer for example, one end of a coaxially installedspring (209 in FIG. 2 a) onto the side pin 508. A sample of such springis depicted in FIGS. 9 a and 9 b. The other end of the respective springwill be constrained by the inside wall of the hitch tube 204 (FIG. 2 a).The springs for each of the two side pins 508 (208 in FIG. 2 a) are in acompressed state when the side pins 508 are in a lock position, andthus, the safe is locked into the hitch. The compression is caused bythe handle shaft 206 (FIG. 2 a), as explained below.

FIGS. 6 a-b illustrate a top and perspective view, respectively, of thehandle shaft 206 depicted in FIG. 2 a. The transitional end 651 startswith a circular cross section and ends with a thin, rectangular-likecross-section. This shape of the transitional end 651 helps transitionsmoothly from the lock to the unlock position, and vice versa, of thetwo side pins (208 in FIG. 2 a).

By default, a thicker portion of the transitional end 651, and/or aportion of the handle shaft 606 which is immediately next to thetransitional end 651 (i.e., a portion which has approximately a circularcross-section), sits in between the two convex ends (530 in FIG. 5 c) ofthe two side pins, forcing the two side pins outwardly, through thepreexisting holes of a standard hitch, hence, causing in effect the lockposition of the side pins. When the handle shaft 606 (206 in FIG. 2 c)is pulled backward by a user (i.e., away from the side pins 208),consequently, the thin portion of the transitional end 651 sits betweenthe two convex ends (530 in FIG. 5 c) of the two side pins (208 in FIG.2 c). Thus, the two springs 209 (FIG. 2 a) are allowed to decompress,causing the two sides pins 208 to withdraw from the hitch's holes (i.e.,the unlock position).

The key slot 652 helps guide the handle shaft 606 and, more importantly,it prevents the handle shaft 606 from engaging in rotational motion asexplained below. The hole for cotter pin 653 helps constrain at thatlocation, by using a cotter pin, one end of a coaxially installed spring(not shown) onto the handle shaft 606. A sample of such spring isdepicted in FIGS. 9 a and 9 b. The other end of the respective spring isconstrained by the outside wall of the main box 201 a (FIG. 2 c) facingthe hitch tube 204.

When the handle shaft 606 (206 in FIG. 2 c) is pulled backward, in orderto unlock the side pins 208 as explained above, the respective spring(not shown) of the handle shaft 606 is compressed. When the handle shaft606 is released, the respective spring decompresses and in the processit pushes and keeps the handle shaft 606 in a forward position whichtranslates in a lock position of the side pins, as explained above.

The handle pin 607 depicted in FIG. 6 c may be inserted, centered, andfirmly secured, such as by welding, in the hole 654 of the handle shaft606. The purpose of the handle pin 607 is to help the user pull thehandle shaft 606 backward, and thus unlock the two side pins (208 inFIG. 2 c) from the hitch of a vehicle. The handle shaft 606 may be,preferably, 4 to 24 inches in length.

It should be noted that, because of this easy-to-use hitch lockingconfiguration, the user can quickly and effortlessly lock and unlock thesafe onto the hitch of a vehicle. Just a simple, short and easypull-back action unlocks the safe. A release of the handle shaft is allit takes to lock the safe onto the hitch. It should also be noted that auser may have access to the handle shaft only when the flip lid of thesafe is unlocked. This means that only a user who knows how to unlockthe locking mechanism of the safe may disconnect the safe from thehitch.

FIG. 7 a illustrates an exploded view of the hitch tube 204 depicted inFIG. 2 a. FIG. 7 b illustrates a perspective view of the hitch tubesleeve 762 depicted in FIG. 7 a. The hitch tube sleeve 762 may besecured, such as by welding, inside the hitch tube 704. The handle shafthole 764, and the hole (218 in FIG. 2 b) in the main box's back wall,guide the handle shaft in its pull-back, release-forward movementsnecessary to unlock and lock, respectively, the side pins, as explainedabove. The key slot protrusion 763 fits into and works with the key slot652 (FIG. 6 a) to prevent rotational movements of the handle shaft 606and provide additional guiding means. The hitch tube hole 703 (803 inFIGS. 8 a), and a corresponding hole on the opposite side, as shown inFIG. 8 b, is provided, as explained earlier, to accommodate portions ofthe two side pins (208 in FIG. 2 a). The hitch tube 704 may be built tofit and lock into a standard 1, 1.5, or 2 inches vehicle hitch, or otherstandard hitches, available on the market. The hitch tube 704 may be,preferably, 4 to 15 inches long.

The end cap 761 of the hitch tube 704 (804 in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b) may befasten irremovably, such as by welding, or removably, such as bybolting, in which case end cap holes 871 may be provided into the hitchtube 804. A removable cap permits access to the inside of the hitch tube704, for maintenance purposes for example, should the need arise. Thisis important because, as explained earlier, several components arehoused inside the hitch tube 704 (the two side pins, their springs, thehandle shaft and its spring, etc). As additional or stand-alone accesspoint(s), a side door 880 may also be provided in one or more sides ofthe hitch tube 804. One preferred side may be the bottom (i.e., facingthe ground) of the hitch tube 804 in order to prevent agents, such aswater, from entering the inside of the hitch tube.

The spring depicted in FIGS. 9 a-b may have closed and ground ends, leftor right-hand wound and may be plated or stainless for weatherresistance. Furthermore, the spring may be substituted with other typesof springs such as a Bellville spring or a disc spring.

It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words andphrases used in this patent document. The term “couple” and itsderivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two ormore elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contactwith one another. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well asderivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” isinclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associatedtherewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, beincluded within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within,connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperatewith, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have,have a property of, or the like.

While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventionsmay be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination inthe exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and featuresmay be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or invarious combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expresslyexcluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intendedto be within the scope of the present inventions.

Furthermore, while various alternative embodiments as to the variousaspects, concepts and features of the inventions--such as alternativematerials, structures, configurations, methods, devices and components,alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on—may be describedherein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete orexhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presentlyknown or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt oneor more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additionalembodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even ifsuch embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein.

Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of theinventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement ormethod, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature isrequired or necessary unless expressly so stated.

Furthermore, exemplary or representative values and ranges may beincluded to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however,such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense andare intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expresslystated.

Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expresslyidentified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention,such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather, theremay be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully describedherein without being expressly identified as such or as part of aspecific invention. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes arenot limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases,nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed asrequired or necessary unless expressly so stated.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described hereinfor the purpose of disclosing the preferred embodiments, someone ofordinary skills in the art will easily detect alternate embodimentsand/or equivalent variations, which may be capable of achieving the sameresults, and which may be substituted for the specific embodimentsillustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. Therefore, the scope of this application is intendedto cover alternate embodiments and/or equivalent variations of thespecific embodiments illustrated and/or described herein. Hence, thescope of the present invention is defined by the accompanying claims andtheir equivalents. Furthermore, each and every claim is incorporated asfurther disclosure into the specification and the claims areembodiment(s) of the present invention.

1. A safe comprising: a main box having a predetermined size, such thatthe safe may also be used as a step; a lockable flip lid pivotallyconnected to the inside of said main box; a top lid, pivotally connectedto the upper edge of said main box such that it disguises the said fliplid, and configured such that it is capable of being used as a step; andmeans for locking the safe to the hitch of a vehicle.
 2. The safe ofclaim 1, wherein said size permits the storing of a hand gun inside saidsafe.
 3. The safe of claim 1, wherein said size is: length 304.8 mm,width 152.4 mm and height 203.2 mm.
 4. The safe of claim 1, wherein saidmain box, said flip lid and said top lid are manufactured from sheetsteel having a thickness of 6.4 mm.
 5. The safe of claim 1, wherein saidmeans for locking are partially or completely housed by a hitch tube. 6.The safe of claim 5, wherein said hitch tube has a wall thickness of 6.4mm.
 7. A locking system, for locking a container into the hitch of avehicle, comprising: a hitch tube configured to fit into a standardvehicle hitch, and having holes corresponding to the holes of thevehicle hitch; and means for locking said hitch tube into the vehiclehitch, wherein, said means are partially or completely housed by saidhitch tube.
 8. The locking system of claim 7, further comprising meansfor accessing said means for locking, inside said hitch tube.
 9. Thelocking system of claim 7, wherein said hitch tube has a wall thicknessof 6.4 mm.
 10. A safe comprising: a main box having a predeterminedsize, such that the safe may also be used as a step; at least one lid,one of which being lockable, pivotally connected to said main box; andmeans for locking the safe to the hitch of a vehicle, said means beingconnected to said main box.
 11. The safe of claim 10, wherein said sizepermits the storing of a hand gun inside said safe.
 12. The safe ofclaim 10, wherein said size is: length 304.8 mm, width 152.4 mm andheight 203.2 mm.
 13. The safe of claim 10, wherein said main box, ismanufactured from sheet steel having a thickness of 6.4 mm.
 14. The safeof claim 10, wherein said means for locking are partially or completelyhoused by a hitch tube.
 15. The safe of claim 14, wherein said hitchtube has a wall thickness of 6.4 mm.